Menu

Monthly Archives: October 2014

Disclaimer, this post contains referral links.It’s Birchbox time again! This month they were celebrating the fan girl in each of us; sharing their passions and obsessions, and encouraging us to do the same.

Birchbox is only $10 a month and they send you 5-8 (usually sample size) products to try out. If you end up loving the sample, you can purchase the full size version in their shop. They also have a crazy good points system so you can rack up credit for significant discounts. It’s an auto renewing subscription which you pay monthly for, or pay for a full year at once (for a discount). You can also cancel any time.

Macadamia Professional™ Flawless Cleansing Conditioner – (value $15) – A multipurpose, no-suds conditioner which is supposed to cleanse and soften hair, plus cut blow-dry time. I’m not all that excited about this. I am pretty loyal to the conditioner I use and like, plus I don’t blow-dry my hair so that benefit is lost on me. I’ll probably swap this. Having said that, I’m a little disappointed that this was the highest value item in the box.

BORGHESE Fango Brillante – (value $3.58) – This mud mask is infused with a blend of vitamins and minerals to brighten oily and congested skin, purifying pores, clearing up blemishes, and banishing dullness. I was skeptical at first because this just sounded too good to be true. It was the first product from this box that I actually tried out, and I might be in love with it. First of all, my face felt like it was burning when the mask was on, which was a huge drawback because it was super uncomfortable. It actually made me wonder if I was having an alergic reaction to it because I had never used a face mask that felt like that. But, I kept it on for about seven minutes. You guys, the result was kind of amazing. The next morning I noticed a significant clearing of the breakout I had been experiencing on my chin, and my skin just looked brighter. I was really impressed! The only thing I’m not impressed by is the price tag. A regular sized pot of this stuff sells for $64.

Benefit The POREfessional – (value $3.90) – An oil-free balm that shrinks the look of pores, smooths skin, and mattifies shine. I don’t have a big problem with pore size, but regardless I think that this probably acts much like a makeup primer. I love primers, so I’m sure I’ll use this.

Lord & Berry Paillettes Eye Pencil – (value $4.50) – Oh look, it’s another black eyeliner pencil. This is a blendable pencil, studded with bits of silver shimmer. In the last six months, Birchbox has sent me four black eyeliners. Seriously Birchbox? Stop with the black eyeliner already. Please, and thank you.

I estimate the value of my October Birchbox at $28.62, and though it isn’t the highest value Birchbox ever, it was still a good deal. I found one product I really like, and another eyeliner to add to the growing pile (though if I get one more black eyeliner I may scream). I do hope next months Birchbox is more exciting though!

Also, as a side note I was pretty disappointed by my sample choice experience this month. I had requested the Mally Beauty High-Shine Liquid lipstick in a pretty melon shade, but I guess they ran out and weren’t able to fulfill my request. It was a total bummer, because I was really excited about that item in particular. They still seem to be experiencing a lot of kinks with their sample choice program, and I sure hope they get them ironed out soon.

Julep Maven is a nail polish and beauty box. Every month you have a choice between several curated style profiles or you can customize your box. If you’d like to customize your box, I suggest signing up for a 3 month prepaid subscription! Julep Maven is one of my favorite subscription boxes for a few reasons. Every month they create and release a new line of polish, all built around a theme. I think it’s a great idea. Also, I’m a big fan of the fact that their polish formulas are vegan, and 5-free.

For October, they introduced The Black Magic Collection.

photo credit: Julep.com

I’ll admit, I was underwhelmed by this collection. I guess I was expecting something more “Halloween-y” for October. Most of the collection looked similar to other colors that I already have. Since I’m not lucky enough to have a skipable My Maven account, I was still able to select a few colors that I liked enough to customize into my box.

The Cost: $24.99 a month ($19.99 a month with a 3-month subscription). Both options are customizable for new Mavens. I totally recommend the 3-month subscription. That’s what I have, and I love being able to pick exactly what I want, and getting the lowest price.

My collection was lacking in black, so I was happy to add this shimmery black shade to the mix.

Julep Lip Gloss- (Value $20) – I selected the color “Polished”

I had never tried Julep’s lip glosses, and was excited to try them. They released two new shades, and I selected “Polished” as you see in the pic above. The finish is actually a little more pink than the picture suggests, but I still kind of wish I had selected the other new shade. Oh well, I’m sure I’ll pick that one up later.